Press Releases
At Press Conference, Udall Urges Bipartisan Work to Address Climate Change
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall joined Democratic members of the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee at a press conference to urge some in Congress to stop debating whether climate change is real and instead work together to fight global warming. The press conference was held in advance of a hearing that will be chaired by U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) this afternoon. Cruz has stacked the panel with academics who doubt the impact of global warming. Cruz's hearing is timed to happen as the U… Continue Reading
December 08, 2015
NM Delegation Announces $11.5 Million to Repair Roads Damaged in September 2014 Floods, Other Disasters
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich and U.S. Representatives Steve Pearce, Ben Ray Luján and Michelle Lujan Grisham announced more than $11.5 million to rebuild infrastructure damaged by severe storms and flooding, including areas impacted by Hurricane Odile in September 2014. The new funding will help repair and rebuild highways and roads across the state, which suffered serious damage from the hurricane and other recent severe weather. "Just over a year ago,… Continue Reading
December 04, 2015
Udall, Heinrich Welcome Passage of Transportation Bill that Invests in Infrastructure, NM’s Economy, Supports 1,000s of Jobs
WASHINGTON - Last night, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich joined the Senate in approving a major transportation bill that funds 74 percent of New Mexico highways and bridges and provides almost half of the total transportation dollars spent in the state. The bipartisan Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act passed the Senate on a 83-16 vote, after passing the U.S. House of Representatives earlier in the day. President Obama is expected to sign the legislation today, before… Continue Reading
December 04, 2015
Udall Participates in UN Conference on Climate Change ('COP21')
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tom Udall is participating in a two-day congressional delegation to the United Nations conference on climate change in Paris. Udall, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the Senate Appropriations Committee, will meet with U.S. and international negotiators and others gathered for the 21st annual Conference of the Parties (COP21) on the U.N. Convention on Climate Change. Delegates from more than 190 countries are seeking an international agreement to re… Continue Reading
December 03, 2015
Udall Votes to Protect Health Care for Hundreds of Thousands of New Mexicans
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall cast several votes to protect important health care services for New Mexicans. The series of votes were on amendments to and final passage of a budget reconciliation bill, which Republicans put forward in an attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act. The bill passed by a vote of 52-47, though it is expected to be vetoed by the president, and the Senate vote is far short of what would be needed to override that veto. Udall voted against the bill and rele… Continue Reading
December 03, 2015
Udall Honors Victims of Drunk Driving on National Day of Remembrance
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tom Udall honored victims of drunk and drugged driving by introducing a bipartisan resolution in the U.S. Senate designating today, December 3, 2015, as a National Day of Remembrance. He released the following statement: "Last year, nearly 10,000 people were killed in crashes involving drunk drivers. Thousands more were injured - one person every two minutes. New Mexicans are all too familiar with these tragedies, including a horrific crash that cost the lives of three… Continue Reading
December 03, 2015
A Day of Remembrance
The holidays are a joyous time, full of celebrations with family and friends. But Thanksgiving through New Year's is also a dangerous time on the roads. We were tragically reminded of that this past weekend, when three young New Mexicans were killed in a horrific crash involving a drunk driver in Albuquerque. I know all of us have their families and friends in our hearts. Already this year, nearly 100 people have been killed by drunk drivers in New Mexico. Their deaths were completely preventa… Continue Reading
December 03, 2015
Udall, Heinrich Welcome $6.2 Million for Energy Innovation
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich congratulated two New Mexico businesses on receiving $6.2 million to jump-start innovative energy projects. Pajarito Powder, based in Albuquerque, is receiving $2,790,000 to develop a cost-effective regenerative hydrogen electrode for fuel-cell vehicles. Tibbar Technologies of Los Alamos has been awarded $3,500,000 to create a low-cost transformer for HVDC transmission. The projects were selected for funding through the Department … Continue Reading
December 02, 2015
Udall Statement on Shooting in San Bernardino
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tom Udall issued the following statement: "The mass shooting in San Bernardino today is horrifying. That this happened within hours and days of shootings in Savannah, Georgia, and Colorado Springs and elsewhere is terrible beyond words. While law enforcement continues to respond to the situation in California, my thoughts are with the victims, their families, the first responders and the entire community of San Bernardino."… Continue Reading
November 30, 2015
Udall, Heinrich Welcome Passage of New Law to Foster Innovation, Increase Competitiveness of U.S. Space Industry
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich praised passage of the U.S. Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act to modernize commercial space regulations and encourage competitiveness in the industry. Udall and Heinrich are longtime champions of modernizing U.S. policies governing commercial spaceflight. The bill, which President Obama signed last week, provides an essential legal framework that will enable New Mexico's commercial spaceflight industry to grow in the years ahead.… Continue Reading
November 23, 2015
Udall Statement on NM Unit Agreement
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tom Udall, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement on the Secretary of the Interior's decision to further evaluate the impacts and costs of any potential New Mexico Unit Agreement to the Central Arizona Project: "Today's decision means the Interior Department will move forward with a legally required process to establish a framework for federal participation to study the environmental cost of diverting water from the Gila River. T… Continue Reading
November 23, 2015
MADD, Senator Udall, Sheriff Gonzales Remind New Mexicans to Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Today, Mothers Against Drunk Driving New Mexico (MADD) teamed up with U.S. Senator Tom Udall and Bernalillo County Sheriff Manny Gonzales to kick off the 2015 holiday season anti-drunken driving campaign. The holidays are a particularly deadly time of year on the roads, with DWI-related crashes and deaths spiking from Thanksgiving to New Year's. MADD, Udall and Gonzales are reminding New Mexicans to plan ahead this holiday season and designate a non-drinking driver to get the… Continue Reading
November 19, 2015
Udall, Heinrich Applaud Decision To Begin Nonstop Flight Service Between Roswell And Phoenix
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich applauded the decision by American Airlines to begin daily, nonstop commercial flight service between Roswell International Air Center (RIAC) and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. Flights are set to begin in March of 2016. "Flights between Roswell and Phoenix will help make travel to and from Southeastern New Mexico more convenient, opening up business opportunities in the entire region that can create jobs and boost the economy," … Continue Reading
November 18, 2015
Udall, Heinrich Urge LWCF Reauthorization, Funding Before Year Ends
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich and a bipartisan coalition of 12 other senators sent a letter asking Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kent.) and Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to include the permanent reauthorization of the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) along with full mandatory funding in one of the bills Congress must pass before adjourning for the year. "The LWCF is funded with offshore oil royalties and was designed not to use taxpayer … Continue Reading
November 17, 2015
Udall Responds to Senate Resolutions Opposing Steps to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall voted against two resolutions expressing Congress' opposition to steps the administration has taken to reduce global warming-causing greenhouse gas emissions. Earlier in the day, he delivered a speech on the Senate floor about the pending resolutions, which express disapproval of the administration's Clean Power Plan and its regulations of new and existing power plants. Udall urged Congress to work together to develop a diverse energy portfolio and a co… Continue Reading
November 17, 2015
Udall Urges a Balanced Approach on Syrian Refugees
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tom Udall issued the following statement on the U.S. policy toward refugees fleeing violence in Syria: "I urge the president, Congress and the nation's governors to follow a balanced, fact-based approach to the issues regarding refugees fleeing terrorism and violence in Syria. Congress has an obligation to conduct oversight of the vetting process, but we shouldn't let our fears lead us. Potential refugees today are interviewed in person multiple times, screened for biom… Continue Reading
November 17, 2015
Udall Introduces Updated Bill to Expand DOE Tech Transfer, Build NM’s Economy
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall unveiled his updated bill to streamline the process for moving cutting-edge research and development from our national labs into the marketplace. Udall has championed technology transfer as a way to advance high-tech industries and create jobs in New Mexico. While Udall has successfully pushed the Department of Energy (DOE) to improve tech transfer, there is still much work to do. The Accelerating Technology Transfer to Advance Innovation for the Nation… Continue Reading
November 13, 2015
Udall Statement on Attacks in Paris
WASHINGTON -- U.S. Senator Tom Udall, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement: "The attacks in Paris are horrific acts of violence against innocent civilians. We all have the people of France in our hearts tonight as this situation unfolds. We stand with the French as they have stood by us in the fight against international terrorists. Together we will confront all who oppose our shared human values. I know there are many New Mexicans who are concerned … Continue Reading
November 13, 2015
Udall, Heinrich Urge Support for Native American Students in Major Education Bill
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich are urging congressional leaders to ensure bipartisan reforms that support Tribes, Native students and schools serving Native students are included in a final bill updating the nation's major education law, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Leaders of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Education and the Workforce are working to reach a final agreement… Continue Reading
November 12, 2015
ICYMI: Udall in USA Today: Keep U.S. troops out of Syria
In case you missed it, U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, wrote an op-ed in USA Today saying President Obama's decision to deploy troops to Syria "will lead to further chaos and risk more American lives and taxpayer funds in yet another Middle Eastern war." Udall opposed the failed "train-and-equip" program, which provided rebels with weapons that later fell into the hands of militants affiliated with jihadist groups. He also has backed measur… Continue Reading
